From lawyer to entrepreneur: How DRSSD founder Jacqui Warren is bringing colour to women’s workwear

As someone who studied business and law throughout her college years, I can confirm that it is typically regarded as a male-dominated field. More attention is given to men, right from how they should address the court to how they should dress for it. 

So when Jacqui Warren said she was simply told to replicate what men wear for her first moot court during her time studying law and arts, I could fiercely relate to it. 

But here’s the thing: Warren decided to do something about it. She left her job as a business manager to start her own fashion brand dedicated to workwear for women, DRSSD. 

I spoke to her about her journey, from an eight-year-old to a law student to now a full-time entrepreneur, part-time pilates instructor and a student of languages at the University of Sydney. Warren also serves on the Board of Community Transport Central Coast.

The start of a dream

“Fashion designer was my what-I-want-to-be-when-I grow-up response when I was eight years old. It always seemed a pipe dream, so I decided to pursue other areas.” 

One of those areas was studying law, and Warren recalls a specific instance when her fashion dream really started to take shape during preparations for her first moot court. 

“The lecturer was taking us through the various protocols for our first court appearance and spent 10-15 minutes going through the male dress code in great detail (e.g. colour of the suit, number of buttons on their jackets, etc.) He then instructed the women in the class to ‘replicate what the men wear’,” says Warren.

“I didn’t think too much of it at the time, but over the years the statement started to bother me for two reasons. First, the lack of guidance for professional women on how to dress for work. You would be hard-pressed to find a workwear section in many fashion retailers’ shopfronts, and even if they have one it doesn’t give specific guidance on how to dress for certain professions or occasions.

“And second, the idea that women need to assimilate into the workforce. Many people still see women’s involvement in the workforce as a privilege rather than a right, and behaviours such as dressing like a man only serve to reinforce this idea.”

The seed for DRSSD was planted, but Warren doesn’t recall ever having a “lightbulb moment that this was what I was going to do, it was something that naturally evolved over time”. 

“I spent years struggling to find things I loved to wear to work, and my enthusiasm in getting dressed for work gradually dwindled. I’m someone that loves getting dressed up in beautiful pieces of clothing as it brings me a lot of joy, not just because of how it makes me look but also how it makes me feel.”

Business lessons from a first-time entrepreneur

Talking about the process and lessons from starting a workwear business like DRSSD from scratch, Warren is extremely candid about her experience. 

“One of the important lessons I’ve learned is knowing when to ask for help. I delayed launching DRSSD for several months because I wasn’t confident getting the designs manufactured (e.g. creating the tech packs and sourcing the right manufacturer). Fortunately, I found a local company that specialises in helping people like me, and they’ve been an invaluable asset. 

“The other lesson is confidence in my own abilities – I’ve never been one to take big risks and even with careful planning I still doubted whether I could pull this off.”

To get around this, Warren says she uses a couple of key strategies. The first is to go back to her business plan.

“I was always taught that a business plan should be a living document, not just something you review once a year and stick in a drawer. Even just re-reading it from time to time reminds me of the importance of this project,” she says. 

Secondly, Warren argues “all the reasons why I shouldn’t do this”.

“A great skill I learned in law school was to see both sides of a case and be able to argue in both directions. It’s a skill that I think most people can learn – you start with your basic pro/con list and expand on the consequences of either decision. If the pros outweigh the cons, it’s definitely something worth pursuing.”

Starting from scratch

While Warren says she was fortunate to be in a position to fund her new business by herself, she says she “couldn’t have done it without the example set by members of my family”.

“We’ve never been a family that’s particularly well off, yet I have been fortunate to learn lessons of hard work, sacrifice, savings and sensible decisions to achieve the things I want out of life,” she says. 

But managing on limited resources is also how Warren learned the value of creating a capsule wardrobe — investing in timeless pieces that women could incorporate in their wardrobe which will stand the test of time. DRSSD as a brand also looks to reflect those ethics. 

“Through all of this, I indirectly learnt the lesson of investment dressing, that is, not changing your wardrobe to suit every new season, but investing in quality, timeless pieces and looking after them so they last longer and can be used to suit many different occasions.”

There’s also other ancillary benefits of buying investment pieces of clothing, especially in terms of the environment and sustainability.  

“An industry like fashion is a tricky one when talking of sustainability, as it is one of the highest producers of waste and thrives on a constant cycle of consumption. Where possible, I have opted to use natural fibres that are sustainably sourced in the garments as this not only mitigates the environmental impact of my business activity, it also improves the quality of the products and has a more luxurious feel for the consumer.” 

Improving the sustainability of the fashion industry is partly about changing mindsets, says Warren.

“The sky is the limit in terms of the technologies we can develop to reduce our environmental footprint, but I think the real challenge is changing our thinking about the way we consume fashion, moving away from fast fashion and towards investment dressing to create a more sustainable future,” she says. 

Empowering women through power dressing

It may still be early days for DRSSD, but Warren has received plenty of positive feedback, particularly in relation to the cut and colour of the garments she sells.

“People also love the idea behind the brand, as it’s not just about making clothes but creating a sense of empowerment amongst women,” she says.  

“One thing that has truly humbled me is the enthusiasm of people around me, whether it is through sharing content on socials or the classic word of mouth, they’ve been very supportive!” 

Social media platforms have become are the primary channel Warren uses to promote the brand. And so far, she estimates the infant brand’s revenue will be in the vicinity of $500,000 for the first year. 

Source: Supplied

“I want to use these platforms to share ideas with customers on how to style different pieces to suit the occasion, whether it’s ‘boardroom to bar’ or ‘workday to weekend’.”

Talking about the need for a brand like DRSSD that focuses primarily on workwear for women, Warren lists a number of reasons, starting with authenticity and individuality.

“Women are generally forced to assimilate into the workforce, especially in male-dominated industries. There are options for those who gravitate towards a more masculine style, but for women who don’t, it’s like playing dress up in a costume. 

“An example I often use is to imagine a workplace where the dress code suddenly changes and everyone has to wear a dress and high heels. Some people would be comfortable and confident with this decision while others would struggle. I believe people should have the opportunity to dress in a way that is true to their own style.”

To simply create pieces of clothing for women by making a few changes here and there, borrowed from menswear design, seems to be disservice. Jacqui agrees.

“In my experience, the most successful organisations are the ones that embrace diversity, and being able to represent who you truly are by what you wear is an important step in being your most authentic self at work.”

There’s also the need to be noticed, she says.

“It’s common practice for women to be passed over for promotions, raises and other opportunities at work. One of the main reasons for this is the amount of time they spend physically present in the office – often they have to balance family commitments by leaving early to do the school run or work remotely to accommodate competing priorities. 

“The consequence is their superiors often overlook their contributions to the workforce, despite being on par and sometimes exceeding the output of their male counterparts, simply because they can’t spend as much time building relationships with their colleagues. The intention behind DRSSD is for women to have the confidence to present themselves as equals, and what we wear can go a long way to help build this confidence.”

Investing in the future

Warren also builds from her personal experience to highlight the need for an affordable workwear brand like DRSSD. 

“From the time we leave school or university and first enter the workforce, our budgets are often stretched to meet competing financial priorities (moving out of home, commuting to work, travel and social outings with friends). 

“Then as we get older our goals change to things like saving to buy a house and starting a family, and once we reach those milestones our priorities have shifted towards providing for our children. The consequence is that the workwear portion of our budget needs to be as slim as possible. 

“My aim in creating this brand is to shift the thinking towards investment dressing. Rather than changing clothes seasonally and buying to suit a specific occasion, it’s better to invest in quality pieces that can be worn multiple ways and in a variety of social settings, that will last for years to come.”

As for what’s in store for DRSSD’s future, Warren admits to having a few ideas on her mind but it is “a little early to share them”. “It will all depend on how the next few years play out,” she says. For now, the first collection has seven pieces and subsequent collections will be a similar size. 

There will also be injection styles launched every two-to-three months, with one or two pieces at a time, she promises.